Birmingham Parent, 700-C Southgate Dr., Pelham, AL 35124. P(205)987-7700. F(205)987-7600. Email: carol -at- birminghamparent.com. Website: http://www.birminghamparent.com. Carol Muse Evans, Publisher/Editor; Lori Pruitt, Calendar Editor; Paige Smith, Book reviews/children's fiction only. 50% freelance. Welcomes new writers. Circ. 30K. Monthly. Pays 30 days after publication. Period between acceptance and publication varies. Buys First North American Serial Rights and electronic rights, "because our entire issue is digitally published on our web site." Accepts reprints. Responds in a month or less if they are going to use it. Sample articles online, or send $4 per back issue to their address. Subscription $36/year. Does no ship overseas. Guidelines online here.
CURRENT NEEDS: "Local features of 1,000-2,500 words, which cover topics that apply to parents and children in our area. These might include serious topics like education, health, family travel, nutrition, parenting and so on, or roundups of local parks, museums, etc. Human Interest stories are rare for us, but we do offer a local monthly column, Community Heroes, that highlights someone making a difference in the community. We prefer to have photography/art with each story. Monthly columns include Family Travel, Parenting Solo (single parenting), Community Heroes, Family Feasts (restaurant reviews) and Our Home & Garden, along with Baby & Me, Birmingham Teens, Birmingham Senior, etc." Pays $25-$300. First stories must be submitted on spec. Submit query by email.
PHOTOS/ART: "300 dpi or greater, jpegs, e-mailed to carol -at- birminghamparent.com. Rarely buys photos or art."
HINTS: Common mistake includes "not knowing who we are, what we do and who our market is. We need strong local angles - or reprints to which we can add the local angle and/or local resources."

Verge Magazine, P.O. Box 147, Peterborough ON K9J 6Y5, Canada. Email: contributing -at- vergemagazine.ca. Website: http://www.vergemagazine.com. Zalina Alvi, Contributing Editor. "Travel with purpose. Each issue takes you around the world, with people who are doing something different and making a difference doing it. This is the magazine resource for those wanting to volunteer, work, study or adventure overseas." 70% freelance. 50% Freelance. Welcomes new writers. Circ. 10K. Pays on publication. Publishes ms 1-12 months after acceptance. Buys First North American print rights. Accepts reprints. Responds within 8 weeks. Copies available through the website. In Canada, subscriptions are $18(CDN) for one year, $32 for two and $44 for three years. In the US and overseas, the cost is 25$ per year. Guidelines online here.
CURRENT NEEDS: "We look to freelancers to write articles for many of our sections (see our guidelines for specifics). We tend to look for travel stories that have a cultural, social or political focus, or an environmental twist; articles that inspire readers to get out into the world and make a difference through volunteering, working or studying." Pays from CDN $0.10/word. "Shorter stories and department articles run UP TO 800 words; features run between 1500 and 2000. Please submit query or completed manuscript with accompanying cover letter by email. No phone calls please."
PHOTOS/ART: "We usually run between 2-5 photos with every story (depending on length)." No additional pay.
HINTS: "We receive a lot of submissions that are essentially travelogues. We don't want a blow-by-blow account of your trip, we want to know about a meaningful environmental project you stumbled upon, a social custom that surprised you, or a way to help readers plan their own meaningful travel experience."

WRITERS' Journal, P.O. Box 394, Perham, MN 56573. P(218)346-7921. F(218)346-7924. Email: writersjournal -at- writersjournal.com. Website: http://www.writersjournal.com. Leon Ogroske, Editor. "WRITERS' Journal-The Complete Writer's Magazine (published since 1980) is a bimonthly, 64-page publication directed toward all writers. With our matter-of-fact approach to writing, editing, and publishing, the WRITERS' Journal is a favorite among people wanting to be published. Poets will find our publication valuable as the only major publication with two poetry columns encouraging them with a guiding hand. Readers learn from our poetry editor's critique of prize-winning poems-which is done tactfully, respectfully, and creatively. Writers and photographers are enlightened as to how they can incorporate pictures into their efforts in our Photography Techniques column. Screenwriters are given valuable information in the Effective Screenwriting column so they can compete with the best Hollywood has to offer." 30% freelance. Welcomes new writers. Circ. 20K. Bi-monthly. Pays on publication. Publishes ms 6 months after acceptance. Buys one-time rights. Accepts reprints. Responds within a week to queries; up to 6 months to article submissions. For sample copy, mail $6.00 by mail with a written request. Subscription $19.97; $34.97 Canada; $54.97 other. Guidelines online here.
CURRENT NEEDS: "Our audience wants to learn how to become better writers and seek advice on how to get published. We especially like pieces explaining unusual and unique methods of earning income writers can use while practicing and honing their writing skills. Pay is usually $30.00 and a one-year subscription for articles between 1,000 and 2,000 words. Longer pieces may be accepted, but they may be run as a two-part series. Also publishes fillers of up to 200 words. Pay for fillers is $5-$10 plus a complimentary issue. Postal mail submission should include an SASE. E-mail submissions must be pasted into the message. We do not open attachments."
PHOTOS/ART: NO additional payment. "We seldom use photos except with some profile articles."
HINTS: "Avoid writing in first person. We shy from personal essays."